FORMER Poet Laureate Sir Andrew Motioin was certainly not lost for words when he visited the Old Chapel in Calstock.

Sir Andrew was in fine form — making his appreciative audience laugh and sometimes bringing a tear to their eye with his readings.

He read about death and he read about love and those present lapped up every word when the poet and biographer visited the arts centre in Calstock.

His poems included tender tributes to recently deceased world war one veteran Harry Patch, his late father and his new wife.

Earlier in the day he managed to hold the attention of 40 Year 7 pupils at Callington College as they talked about weddings and funerals and whether poetry has to rhyme.

The young people's poems, inspired by Edward Hopper's painting 'Cape Cod Morning', covered what it feels like to be a leaf, freedom, and husbands returning from war.

At the end of the workshop there was a queue for autographs.